


Everybody Here Wants You

by lipeviez



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, F/F, Romance, Secret Admirer, Unrequited Love, maybe requited after all
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:48:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23841751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lipeviez/pseuds/lipeviez
Summary: A shy Hermione pines away over a visiting foreign student. Set during the Triwizard tournament. Fleurmione. AU – canon divergence.
Relationships: Fleur Delacour/Hermione Granger
Comments: 34
Kudos: 463





	Everybody Here Wants You

**Author's Note:**

> A different Fleurmione fic had been floating around in my head since Jan (don't know when I'll get around to writing it but I will eventually) when this one came to me a few days ago and needed to be written down. I just liked the idea of a shy, lovesick Hermione too afraid to approach Fleur directly. The song is the incredible Everybody Here Wants You by Jeff Buckley.

_Twenty-nine pearls in your kiss_  
_A singing smile_  
_Coffee smell and lilac skin_  
_Your flame in me_

Hermione didn't know when it happened. Was it the first time she saw her smile? Or was it when she breezed by the Gryffindor table to get the bouillabaisse? The way she smelled, the way she spoke, it made Hermione feel something she'd never felt before. At least she wasn't a bumbling mess like Ron. It was one of those moments when she'd felt completely inadequate. When she measured herself up against this girl and found herself lacking. Unworthy. When she realized this girl, who seemed to so easily make everyone fall all over themselves in a helpless swoon, would never in a million years swoon over her.

_Twenty-nine pearls in your kiss_  
_A singing smile_  
_Coffee smell and lilac skin_  
_Your flame in me_

_I'm only here for this moment_

In a way, she was glad Ron decided to be a complete prat after Harry was chosen as a tournament champion. It gave her more time to help Harry and provided an excuse to gather information about the other champions without nosy Ron wondering what she was up to. She knew that Viktor followed her and she tolerated it rather than discouraged it. Again, it was another cover, something the gossips could focus on instead of notice how she only had eyes for Fleur Delacour.

Hermione memorized her schedule. Knew which paths she took to get to her classes. Knew exactly which hidden passageways she needed to be in to watch Fleur without others seeing how she yearned, how her heart pounded so painfully, how her school-obsessed self had found a new obsession and had let a teenage crush turn her into one of those silly girls who followed their crush as if it were the end of the world.

And it was.

Fleur would only be here for the school year. After that she would be gone. It gave Hermione a hard deadline and she would typically use such a thing to fuel a vicious attack on whatever academic challenge lay in front of her. But this was different. Emotions were messy, outcomes unpredictable. This pain of unrequited wanting hurt so much, but the thought of rejection was worse. Could she be brave and put herself out there? Or was this, this longing from a distance... could it be enough?

_I know everybody here wants you_  
_I know everybody here thinks he needs you_  
_I'll be waiting right here just to show you_  
_How our love will blow it all away_

Hermione watched, learned Fleur's expressions and habits. The pleased smile when she ate something at mealtimes that she liked. The indulgent smile she would give her sister. The annoyance that furrowed her brow when yet another student approached her for a date. The intelligent, observant look she had when she thought no one was looking. Her determination as she tackled the first task. Hermione needed to do something. Watching wasn't enough anymore.

She wanted to be a reason that Fleur smiled. Desperately.

One morning, she watched as an owl delivered a small package to Fleur. Hermione had specially ordered it. Others in the hall were looking, too, so she didn't have to hide her gaze. The surprise and bright smile on Fleur's face sent Hermione soaring. Madeleines straight from France. Fleur happily shared them with her sister and friends and the rest of the hall went back to their conversations. But Hermione saw her soft, searching look around the hall as Fleur got up to leave. There had been no note but Fleur somehow knew the gift came from a student.

_Hmm, such a thing of wonder in this crowd_  
_I'm a stranger in this town, you're free with me_  
_And our eyes locked in downcast love, I sit here proud_  
_Even now you're undressed in your dreams with me_

_Oh, I'm only here for this moment_

Hermione had always strived to blend in, to not be noticed by others, except when she wanted to demonstrate her knowledge, a compulsion she couldn't really control. Other than that, she didn't know how to draw attention to herself in the ways that came easily to others. So she'd never tried to. The Yule Ball had been strange. For the first time, people gazed at her in appreciation of her appearance. Even Fleur gave her a small smile as they walked into the hall in the champions procession. That alone had made the hours of getting ready worth it. The rest of the night was a mix of fun, Viktor was a pleasant date after all, and jealousy. Not the one Ron had inflicted upon her which sent her crying. No, it was her own jealousy at how much fun Fleur seemed to have with her own date. Disappearing into the garden with him... How she wished she'd gone over to dance with her. Just once. How hard would it have been?

Romance had always been an abstract. She certainly never imagined that she would be anonymously sending gifts and notes to a girl so far out of her league it made her cry herself to sleep at night, dreaming of kisses and embraces that would never happen. At least she didn't write saccharine declarations of love or compliments like the others - her notes shared witty (she hoped) observances of the day, tips on navigating the staircases, recommendations on the best places to escape the boys following her around. Sometimes her notes revealed something about herself - how she felt alone, how she worried about the future, how sometimes her own friends didn't understand her and that maybe Fleur could.

The smiles those notes inspired, the piercing looks, Hermione knew Fleur had been trying to discover who her admirer was. But could she reveal herself? What would Fleur think about her admirer being three class years below her? Fleur was 17 and she was 15, so it wasn't really all that much of an age difference, but the girl had called Harry a child after he'd been chosen. Surely that would be how Fleur would see her. Hermione didn't want to see a kind, pitying look. She wanted to see the same fire that burned in her own heart.

_I know everybody here wants you_  
_I know everybody here thinks he needs you_  
_I'll be waiting right here just to show you_  
_How our love will blow it all away_

_I know the tears we cried_  
_Have dried on yesterday_  
_The sea of fools has parted for us_  
_There's nothing in our way_  
_My love_

Hermione couldn't stand it anymore. She hated how others could openly pine after Fleur and she had to hide away. She hated that Fleur had now seemed to lump in her gifts with those of others she had been receiving. Hermione's notes and small tokens no longer seemed to stand out or garner a special response. She knew it wasn't fair of her to expect otherwise. It wasn't as if she swallowed her fear and made herself known. Fleur was a Triwizard champion, she would want boldness. Shy love from afar could only win so much.

And she was losing.

_Don't you see, don't you see?_  
_You're just the torch to put the flame to all our guilt and shame_  
_And I'll rise like an ember in your name_

_I know I... I know I..._  
_I know everybody here wants you_  
_I know everybody here thinks he needs you_  
_I'll be waiting right here just to show you_  
_Oh let me show you_  
_That love can rise, rise just like embers_

The library used to be a refuge for Hermione. Now it was its own special form of torture. After the second task, Viktor seemed to finally give up, aware that her attentions were elsewhere, but now Fleur was spending more time there, sitting in chairs that seemed to increasingly encroach upon her study area. A few times the girl had even greeted her and all Hermione could do was blush fiercely and stammer out a smile.

_Love can taste like the wine of the age, oh babe_  
_And I know they all look so good from a distance_  
_But I tell you I'm the one_

She lay in bed at night, alone, dejected. The third task was three weeks away and they were no closer to figuring out the endgame of whoever put Harry's name in the goblet. But Hermione wasn't really thinking about that. She'd blown it. Weeks of secret looks in the library, wistful glances from behind bookshelves, Fleur had even sat at her table a few times, and she'd done nothing. Even if she went to Fleur now, there wasn't enough time to win her over, or even form a lasting friendship. Upcoming exams, constantly drilling Harry on hexes and making sure he knew them without thinking about it, time was up. Hermione had thought she was different, that her longing and love was deeper and more real, that if Fleur only gave her a chance she could prove herself worthy. But in the end, she'd been like every other stupid, simpering fool who thought they could get Fleur to like them. And Hermione had been worse. She hadn't asked her out at all. At least those over-confident, self-important boys had taken a chance. Even Ron had opened his mouth. But not her.

The next day Hermione sat in the library, staring out the window. It was a Hogsmeade day and the library was empty. Every breath crushed her. Her loneliness. Her yearning. She was about to pack up and leave when a note flew in front of her, its shape a swan, gently bobbing up and down until she grabbed it. She looked around before opening it. All it said was 'charms'.

Confused, Hermione packed up her bag and walked to the shelves that held the advanced charms books. There was no one there but when she turned around to leave, the reason for her heartache was suddenly standing in her way.

Fleur smiled and Hermione didn't know what to do. What did this mean? A glance from the French girl at the note in her hand told her she'd been the one to send it but why? The blonde walked towards her and held out something.

"Madeleine?" she asked softly, a slight blush on her face. Hermione's heart raced at the sight. Fleur knew.

She took the madeleine before looking up to meet blue eyes gazing at her in an expression she hadn't seen before. Hermione had thought she knew them all. But this was the best of them. Sparkling eyes were focused on her, teasing, dancing. Hermione could look into them all day.

"How did you know?" Hermione asked, finding her courage at last, acknowledging instead of deflecting.

"A note you sent just before ze second task. Ze one zat transfigured into a beating blue 'eart then flew away as a dozen butterflies. A complicated bit of spell work. Eet was eempressive. I spent a couple of weeks researching ze spell, learning eet 'ad likely been adapted from an older one. Not somezing an ordinary student would or could do. Zen sometime after ze task I saw a note being sent een a similar fashion to one of your friends, only zat one was a broomstick zat flew away as seven tiny snitches. I'd been watching you ever since."

"Oh," replied Hermione. She hadn't noticed Fleur watching her, except when she started coming to the library without her friends. Her nervousness put a tightness in her stomach that felt uncomfortable. All that time and Fleur knew.

"You are tres shy, oui?" Fleur asked with a smile.

It was overwhelming being this close to her, receiving these knowing smiles.

Hermione could only nod, swallowing hard, feeling out of her depth. What was she supposed to say? _Sorry I've been stalking you but I love you and can't help it and oh Merlin, please don't laugh at me!_

"I like shy," whispered Fleur.

Hermione gasped, stunned. Her heart now beating so loudly she was sure the other girl could hear it.

"I'm, I'm Hermione Granger," answered Hermione, holding out her hand, willing it not to tremble.

Of course Fleur would know that. Her name had been all over the Daily Prophet, she'd been by her competitor's side helping him all throughout the year, and Fleur had apparently done a bit of stalking of her own. But they'd never really spoken before, not like this. Introductions were the proper thing at any beginning.

Fleur took it and instead of giving it a shake, pulled Hermione closer to her, taking her other hand.

"I know."

This time the smile Fleur gave was hopeful. And it put hope in Hermione's own heart. She squeezed Fleur's hands in hers and let her affection show on her face. Now wasn't the time to hide, not when Fleur had done the hard part of making this happen.

In a quiet, shaky voice, Hermione asked, "There isn't time to go to Hogsmeade today but would you like to take a walk with me around the grounds instead?"

Fleur nodded and interlaced their fingers.

Hermione let the warmth seep inside, straightening her posture until she stood proud in front of the girl she liked, who seemed to also like her. Three weeks still wasn't very long but maybe it would be enough.

_I know everybody here, well, thinks he needs you_  
_Thinks he needs you_  
_And I'll be waiting right here just to show you_


End file.
